> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.digitalseaservice.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Remove a seat

> DELETE /v1/partners/sponsorships/{id} — remove a sponsored seat, downgrade the member, and receive a prorated credit.

<Note>
  **Restricted — requires a sponsorship program.** See the
  [Sponsorship API overview](/sponsorships/overview) for access and auth.
</Note>

```http theme={null}
DELETE /v1/partners/sponsorships/{sponsorship_id}
Authorization: Basic <base64(client_id:client_secret)>
```

Removes a seat you no longer want to sponsor. Three things happen:

1. **The member is downgraded to Free immediately.** Their sponsored Premium
   entitlement ends as soon as the removal succeeds.
2. **You receive a prorated credit** for the unused remainder of that seat's
   billing period — the seat leaves your recurring subscription.
3. **Vessel tracking is paused** for the member's vessel, on a best-effort
   basis. If another active crew member still keeps that vessel tracked, it
   stays on.

The seat ends in the `cancelled` [status](/sponsorships/overview#seat-lifecycle)
and no longer counts toward your program's seat usage.

<Warning>
  Removal is a downgrade, not a deletion of history. The member keeps their
  account and their own data; they simply return to the Free tier. If you're
  removing a member for data-erasure reasons, contact DSS — GDPR erasure is a
  separate, stronger operation.
</Warning>

## Response

`200 OK`.

| Field            | Type   | Notes                      |
| ---------------- | ------ | -------------------------- |
| `sponsorship_id` | string | The seat that was removed. |
| `status`         | string | `cancelled`.               |

```json theme={null}
{
  "sponsorship_id": "665f00000000000000000042",
  "status": "cancelled"
}
```

## Scoping

The seat is resolved under your partner before any teardown runs. A
`sponsorship_id` that belongs to a different partner resolves to
[`not_found` (404)](/errors/not_found) — you can't remove another partner's
seat, and we don't confirm it exists.

## Errors

| Status | `type`                                             | When                              |
| ------ | -------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| 401    | [`invalid_token`](/errors/invalid_token)           | Missing or bad Basic credentials. |
| 403    | [`insufficient_scope`](/errors/insufficient_scope) | The partner account is suspended. |
| 404    | [`not_found`](/errors/not_found)                   | No such seat for this partner.    |

## Related

* [Provision a seat](/sponsorships/provision)
* [Reconcile your roster](/sponsorships/reconciliation)
* [Sponsorship API overview](/sponsorships/overview)